The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-16
POPULAR SCIENCE.

POPULAR SCIENCE.
An Italian, Signor Garrett, claims TO
have discovered that fishes are attracted
BY music, and has made successful de-
monstration of the fact at Lake Geneva,
by calling great numbers OF fishes ABOUT
his boat. ...
The use of waste tan burk, of which
there are very large quantities IN TINS
country awaiting an application, as Ter
tilizer in vegetable gardens, is meeting
with considerable success. This appii,
cation is said to be successfully carried
on in the suburbs of Paris.
French surgeons disagree concerning
the nature of lockjaw. Some report
having treated it as purely nervous al
fection, while others insist that it is
contagious disease. one eminent observer
contenuing that it Is often contracted by
man through germs from horses.
The tensile strength Of ice is given by
Fruhling of Konigsberg as between 142
and 233 pounds per square inch, at twen-
ty.three degrees Fahrenheit. Its COM
pressive strength, found by cubes OF
over two inches at the same temperature,
is ascertained to vary between sixty-one
and 2O5 pounds. mean being 14S
pounds per square inch.
Professors Abner and Schott, OF Jena,
are reported to have invented new
optical glass of remarkable refractory
power, which will be of great value In
microscopic photography. It is said that
while the ordinary lenses do not admit OF
distinct reflections beyond 1880, ,O00th
of an inch, this new glass will render
1905, 100000 of an inch perfectly
visible. .-..
Recent observa lions are said to indi-
cate the existence of submarine vol
canic crater between the Canary Islands
and the coast of Portugal. From cable
laying steamer the water was found to
measure l., 800 fathoms under the bow and
500 fathoms undei the stern, showing
! the ship to be over the edge Of q deep
depression in the ocean bottom. 1t Is
we'll known that great inequalities are
found in the bed Of the sea of Lisbon,
and these are thought to be due to sub
marine chain of mountains.
Lieut.. Powell Of the Signal Service has
given some account Of the projected
weather service of the Union Pacific Rail-
road. There W II be thirty-three sta
tions in all. Predictions will be issued
twice day as to the probable weather
twenty-four and forty eight hours ahead.
This will give railway officials sufficient
time to take all necessary precautions
before starting the morning and evening
trains. 1t is Intended to make the bull
letins very specific in nature, so that the
exact conditions over different divisions
NAV be understood, and the correspond
ing difficulties met and overcome.
Another natural gas field has been re-,
Gently discovered, and partially devel-
oped. at the foot of Lake Huron, within
the pre oincts of the city of, Port Huron.
Mr.. Charles Bailey, while "boring for
oil" in June last, struck an immense fow
| of gas, at a depth OF little more than f Q
hundred feet; and two wells sunk subse-
ouently gave like results. exhibiting, 9
pressure Of 1S0 pounds to the square inch.
This would appear to afford the one solu-
ton necessary to the manufacture OF salt
in this region, viz, cheap fuel. Though
a new find, gas is not wholly unknown
to the region, having fire uently been
found at depths varying from 80 to 100
feet, but never in definite quantities.
Various means have been suggested for
relieving the tedium of an Atlantic trip.
Professor f. s. Dennis of New York,
who has just crossed, has occupied his
time in making experiments with respect
to the purity Of the air on the decks and
in the cabins. He employed capsules OF
sterilized gelatine, which he exposed to
the atmos phere. One capsule was e1.
posed in the stateroom on the MAN
deck of the steamer, and in eighteen
hours 500 points of Infection had de-.
veloped. Another capsule which was ex.
posed in a cabin on the main deck de-
vveloped only ave or six points of infec.
ton in ten days. and q capsule which
was exposed over the bow OF the ship
was found at the end OF ten days to be
absolutely uncontaminated. Here is an
opening for thoroughly good sys em OF
ventilation. -.-.